I have long extolled the virtues of sowing seed year round. I have long extolled the virtues of vegetable growing. So I welcomed this book with open arms. Niki looks at how to extend the season and grow vegetables all year round. Whilst northern gardeners in short season areas will easily think this a god send, Niki states that the book is for gardeners no matter where they live. The first chapter deals with extending the season. I love the harvest pages - cool, cold, warm season. The photography is great and there are some fab ideas for veg gardeners here. Some of it is specific to the USA and Canada, like frost dates, but most of this information can be adapted to where you live. Chapter 2 deals with continuous crops, soil amendment and interplanting to make the most of your site. Chapter 3 deals with growing into winter when most of us have stopped. It looks at all sorts of protection and more. Chapter 4 is all about designing productive gardens. Part 2 of the book is about the right crops. It's an A-Z of veg and herbs to grow covered in two chapters with Niki's picks, hints and tips. Wait, there's even more , you get instructions for building a cold frame and useful charts. Best garden book I've seen for a while. This review first appeared on Karen Platt's book review website.

I find 'The year-round vegetable garden' a great guide not only for specific produce, but particularly for then insights into crop rotation, use of cover and succession planning to get the most from your garden for harvest throughout the year.

The reference to American climate, even though I'm in the UK, is a good example to help understand how to plan your site/growing...which I hadn't really thought about.

A great all round guide, it's the right size to be really usable; presenting enough insights clearly and succinctly. For myself - coming to the end of my first year's planting - it's made life easier...and I'm inspired to plan much better for the spring!